Journal Article

Child access to the nutritional safety net during and after the Great Recession: The case of WIC

By Jackson , Mayne P

The Great Recession was an economic downturn that lasted from 2007-2009 that had striking effects on children’s economic, social, and health environment, especially in regards to food security. Despite officially ending in 2009, recovery is an ongoing process where unemployment and children remaining in economic advantage is still a reality. Due to the severity of economic insecurity, families have greater difficulty investing in children’s development, especially when struggling to meet other basic needs.This study aimed to understand the extent of access children experience in nutritional support programs, like WIC, to combat economic crisises capable of buffering the effects of poverty and economic instability. In order to do so, the study examined trends both during and after the Great Recession. There is a good body of literature that finds that children’s access to foods necessary for healthy development increases alongside economic need; although, they were also interested in seeing whether increases in participation are the same or vary across different social and economic groups.

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Date Added
May 6, 2019

Citation
Jackson , Mayne P (2009) Child access to the nutritional safety net during and after the Great Recession: The case of WIC Journal of Social Science Medicine  Vol.170, pp.197 - 207. Available online: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Child+access+to+the+nutritional+safety+net+during+and+after+the+Great+Recession+The+case+of+WIC